Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route 8 Day

This long, little-used route parallels the lower part of the Shira Route. Zara Tours leads treks up the Lemosho Route. The Lemosho Route is an unspoiled, remote, little-used, and beautiful way up to the Shira Plateau. Above the plateau, you approach Kilimanjaro's great western Breach, then follow the south circuit to reach the easier Barafu Route. This is one of the few routes where an armed ranger accompanies our groups, since there are still animals in the forest around the Lemosho Glades.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at the
Kilimanjaro International Airport/Alternative Airport pick up and transferred
to the Springlands Hotel for overnight bed and breakfast.

Sometimes
called the Whisky Route.
This is a popular route up steep paths through magnificent forests to gain a
ridge leading through the moorland zones to the Shira Plateau. It then traverses
beneath the glaciated precipices of the Southern Ice fields to join the Barafu Route to the
summit. An extra day could be added to the itinerary, best spent on the Shira
Plateau, where you could walk to the Shira Needles. Strong groups could omit
camping at Karanga
River. The Mweka Route is used
for the descent.

Day 2

Machame
Gate (1490m) - Machame camp (2980m),Hiking
time: 7 hours,

Distance: About 18 km's - Habitat: Montane forest.

Accommodation on the mountain is
in tents, which the porters will pitch for you. You will need a sleeping bag,
warm clothes and walking poles. This is a steep, tough trek within the limits
of a fit individual used to walking in mountain areas.

Your day
starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a 45-minute drive from
Moshi (910m) to the Machame village (1490m). The guides and porters prepare and
pack the supplies and your equipment in the village. Depending on the condition
of the road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate, but
if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete. After
registering at the gate office, you start your ascent and enter the rain
forest. You will receive a lunch pack at the gate and you can also drink
bottled water you bought at Springlands Hotel in Moshi. There is possibility of
rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy and
slippery experience. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing
water and the cook will prepare dinner, before you retire to your tent for the
night. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at Machamecampsite.

You
rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast you climb an hour or so to the
top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the
moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto
the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to see in an easterly direction, the
Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and
after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3840m. The
porters will boil drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night
at this exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with
temperatures dropping to well below freezing.

The route now turns east into a
semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an
altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is served in a designated
area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). Definitely
the toughest day so far. It is normally around this point, where for the first
time, some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability
and headaches. After lunch you descent again by almost 680m to the Barranco
camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the
true acclimatisation benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to
Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some
beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is
situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should
provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your
dinner and overnight at Barranco Camp site.

Day 6

Baranco
to Karanga Valley -Barafu
camp (4550m), Hiking time: 7 hours

Distance: About 13 km's -
Habitat: Alpine desert

Totally
exposed to the ever-present gales the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and
dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with the terrain
before dark to avoid any accidents. The summit is now a further 1345m up and
you will make the final ascent the same night. Prepare your equipment, ski
stick and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. This should include the
replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have a
spare set available as well. To prevent freezing it will be wise to carry
your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed at round about 19h00 and try to
get some precious rest and sleep for not more than 5 Hours.

You
will rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits you shuffle off into
the night. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy
scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 6-hour walk to Stella point
is for many climbers, mentally and physically the most challenging on the
route. At Stella Point (5685m) you will stop for a short rest and will be
rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather
permitting). From Stella Point you will normally encounter snow all the way on
your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you will spend on the summit will
depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be
extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your
accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your live. The walk back
to Barafu from the summit, takes about 3 hours. Here you will have a well
earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to
Mweka Camp (3100m) for Dinner and Overnight.

Day 8

Mweka camp
(3100m)- Mweka Gate (1980m)

Hiking/Descend
time: 3 hours,

Distance:
About 15 km's Habitat: Forest

After
Breakfast, From the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka village,
normally a muddyand long hour walk. In
the Mweka village drive to Springlands Hotel and you will be served a delicious
hot lunch!! You now drive back to Moshi for a long over due hot shower, Overnight
in Springlands hotel. It is recommended and tips are highly appreciated
at the end of their trip. Tips can be given to the Guide at Springlands Hotel.
This is also where successful climbers receive their summitcertificates.
Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green
certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold
certificates.

Important Travel Information

Is This Trip For You?

If you arrive at the KilimanjaroAirport, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha. We recommend at least one rest day before starting your trek. If you are transferring from Nairobi, this can act as your rest day. If you have time, enjoy a guided walk through the local rice fields and rainforest, do a little shopping in the town of Moshi, relax at the swimming pool, or get a massage.

Your guide will provide a briefing the evening before your trek, and you must separate one bag for the trek from your other luggage. Rental equipment is available. Extra luggage can be stored in a locked storage room at your Moshi hotel at no charge.

The next morning, enjoy a hearty breakfast before last-minute trip preparations at the trekking office. Depending on the route you take, the drive to the trailhead can take up to one hour and can be very bumpy.

Once you reach the park gate, climbers are requested to make their final preparations for the climb and sign the national park registration book. Porters will be seen arranging their packs containing the food, water, and other equipment. Make sure that you have all your day pack items with you as the porters travel very quickly. Your guide will be pleased to assist with any additional information.

The average hiking day begins between 8-9am and is about 5 to 6 hours, walking very, very slowly. The distances you will hike each day are very moderate so as to acclimate a little at a time. Your guides will repeat over and over, "pole pole" (po-ly, po-ly), which means "go slowly" in Swahili.

The terrain lower down is absolutely gorgeous and fascinating. Higher up, the views are vast. There is little to do at the camps themselves, so take advantage of the slow pace to absorb the scenery and take every photo opportunity.

The hike to the summit starts around midnight depending on your route and speed of your group. You will go as high as you feel fit. Some people stop at the crater rim, and others continue to the very highest point on the mountain. Your guides will then take you down as quickly as possible to minimize any altitude problems. You will continue past your last campsite to the next one for overnight.

You can add an extra day at the Horombo Huts (3,690 m/12,100 ft). You can spend a full day and a second night at Horombo. On this day, you can either rest at the huts or take a stroll up to the Mawenzi basecamp then return to the Horombo Huts. This extra day will help your acclimatization, and further your understanding of the mountain’s weather and altitude. After your pause, you will continue up to the Kibo Huts on your fourth day for your midnight start to the summit.

Money

The local currency is Tanzanian shillings. U.S. dollars, Euros, and credit cards may be accepted by larger stores and hotels, but the exchange rate is better with shillings. ATM's are only available in larger towns like Moshi and Arusha. Yahoo Currency Converter.

Destination Location

Mount Kilimanjaro is located three degrees south of the equator in Northeastern Tanzania. It is the tallest mountain in Africa and is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Of the famous highest seven peaks in the world, this is the easiest to get to and the easiest to climb. It requires no technical climbing experience, and any moderately fit person can summit the mountain.

Travel Companions

Groups are limited to 5-7 people. We will combine groups up to this limit if they are starting the same route on the same day. However, we can also arrange for private groups at no extra cost. We will try to add single travelers to a group if at all possible, but we cannot guarantee it. We can accommodate large groups of any size.

Guide(s)

A local guide is required to hike Kilimanjaro. We have guides that speak English, Spanish, French and German. Porters will also go on the trip to carry your luggage, food, and other equipment. You will only have to carry a day pack with your daily essentials.

Tips for guides and porters on Kilimanjaro and MountMeru:

You will be given an envelope at the Springlands Hotel after your trek for your tip money. You can use U.S. dollars, Euros, TZ shillings, or a combination of these. It helps if you have small bills to tip everyone individually. There is no need to take money on the mountain with you.

The typical tip is $15/day for guides, $10/day for assistant guides and cooks, $7/day for porters. This is from the whole group, not per hiker.

Expect porters as follows:- 2 porters per hiker on the 5-day Marangu Route (minimum of 4 porters)- 3 porters per hiker on a 6 or 7-day trek (minimum of 5 porters)- 4 porters per hiker on the 8-day Lemosho Route (minimum of 8 porters)- Sometimes extra porters are required based on the weight of your luggage.

Budget $200 per hiker for tips for a 6-day trek.

Gifts: Guides and porters also appreciate your warm clothing, shoes, and packs. You may want to bring some older clothing items for this purpose.

Celebration: You are also welcome to invite your guides back to the Springlands Hotel for drinks and/or dinner (on you) as a thank-you in addition to their tip.

TransportationWith the exception of airfare, all Zara trips include all transportation costs and arrangements within the destination country. This includes all transfers and the equipment for all activities listed.

In the day pack, take along water, sunglasses, camera, binoculars, rain pants, and jacket at a minimum. Add any other items you might need during the day, since you may not see your porters until the end of the day.

You can leave extra luggage in a locked storage room at the Springlands Hotel for no charge.

You can leave valuables in a safe deposit box at the Springlands Hotel for $1/day.

See the Zara Equipment list for details on what is provided by Zara Tours.

Baggage

Day pack, for you to carry

Large duffel bag or backpack, for porters to carry

Plastic bags

Clothing You want your inner layer to be wicking – no cottonYour next layer should be insulating and warm, and your top layer should be water proof but breathable.You will need clothes for hiking during the day, lounging in the evening, and for sleeping.Layers are important as temperatures vary greatly.Kilimanjaro may be near the equator, but it gets cold up there!

Meeting/Departures
Location

Cancellation Information

Cancellation of a booking or failure to join a tour will result in a retention of funds by ZaraTours Inc. as follows: Upon receipt of written cancellation by any member of the tour indicated on this reservation 30 days or longer prior to departure, 20% of the reservation of the canceling party will be retained by ZaraTours and the balance of the package price refunded. If a cancellation is received at least 14 days and up to 29 days prior to departure, 50% of the package price will be retained by ZaraTours Inc. If a cancellation is received less than 14 days prior to departure, 100% of the total package price will be retained by ZaraTours Inc. and all outstanding payment will become payable immediately. Should the canceling party be able to find a replacement for themselves no less than 14 days prior to departure and the replacement completes this booking form individually, no retention of funds will take place. However, should no replacement be found by 14 days prior to departure, a 100% cancellation penalty will apply to the canceling party. ZaraTours Inc. and its agents reserve the right to terminate, at their discretion and with immediate effect, the participation of any person on the tour.